Grade: GB News critics seek to limit free speech to 'liberal, Islington consensus'
Former Ofcom chair Michael Grade has defended GB News, labeling its critics as part of a 'liberal, Islington consensus' that aims to curtail free expression.
Michael Grade, the former chair of Britain's media regulator Ofcom, has said that critics of GB News belong to a 'liberal, Islington consensus' bent on limiting freedom of speech. In an interview with The Guardian, the Conservative peer stated that he welcomed the right-wing channel's launch five years ago in the name of plurality.
Grade argued that a long-term failure to give 'the white majority a voice in the debate' would damage social integration in Britain. He cited Conservative peer Tony Sewell, who claimed that for integration to succeed, the white majority must have a voice. Grade said this explains why the Reform party is doing well in polls.
Defending Ofcom's approach to regulating GB News, Grade said the rules require 'due impartiality', not absolute neutrality, and that broadcasters have flexibility to present different opinions across their programming. He rejected accusations that he or Ofcom misunderstood the impartiality rules, claiming instead that his critics do not understand them. The real red line, he said, is preventing politicians from presenting news bulletins.
Regarding GB News's interview with Donald Trump, where the US president's claims about climate change, Islam and immigration went unchallenged, Grade acknowledged it 'wasn't journalism's finest hour' but noted it was immediately followed by a discussion programme where many criticised Trump. He added that if the government wants stricter impartiality rules, such as banning politicians from hosting shows, it should change the law.
